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It's been seven years since the last time the Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates. The last time they did the AFL grand final between Collingwood and St Kilda resulted in a draw, the Commonwealth games were in Dehli and Steve Jobs and Osama bin Laden were still alive. It was seven years ago today, and the RBA board has met 76 times since, cutting rates 12 times with not one increase.
The result of this month’s m... READ MORE

The decision to take control of your superannuation and establish a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF) will be one of the most important financial decisions that you will make. Establishing a Fund can be a great way to take control of the dollars you're saving for retirement by putting you in the driver's seat when it comes to all decisions - investments, insurances, management - in relation to your fund. For people whose ci... READ MORE

Despite optimistic comments that suggest the high Australian dollar is ­increasingly the main impediment to mortgage rates, the Reserve Bank of Australia believes they are more like to rise than fall.
Speaking in Melbourne at his six-monthly testimony before a key parlia­mentary committee, RBA Governor Philip Lowe said he "didn’t want to dissuade” anybody from the idea that, gradually, "the average level of rates w... READ MORE

It makes good sense to review your home loan from time to time to check that it is still continuing to meet your needs with the features you need or want while offering you an interest rate that is competitive with the current market.
Today’s mortgage market is very competitive. New loan types with features and packages are becoming available and loan interest rates vary widely too. As your circumstances and stage of life c... READ MORE

Just as many people make New Year’s resolutions, it might also be a good idea to look to make changes in the new financial year and become as tax effective as you can be.
The new financial year is a great time to reassess your financial position and look for any tax benefits you qualify for.
One of the first things you should do is review deductible and nondeductible debt. Having high levels of non-deductible de... READ MORE

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has made its monthly cash rate call, deciding to hold the official rate at 1.5% for the 11th month running. This decision was widely expected by all economists and commentators. Mortgage Brokers were also fairly confident in a hold call with a survey finding that 88% of more than 440 brokers thought rates would remain steady in this month. However, there is a developing consensus that ... READ MORE

The Australian Taxation office is reminding people to be vigilant around tax time, when scammers are particularly active,
There has already been a five-fold increase in scams from January to May this year and we usually see increased activity around tax time. The large number of people lodging their tax returns means scammers are particularly active, so it’s important to keep an eye out for anything that looks s... READ MORE

Don't forget, small and medium businesses around the country were given another 12 months to take advantage of the federal government’s $20,000 instant asset tax write-off scheme in the last federal budget. The government announced an extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off threshold to 30 June 2018.
The concession was due to expire on June 30, 2017 and was initially available to businesses turning over... READ MORE

Treasurer Scott Morrison handed down the 2017-18 Budget in
Canberra last night, and it contains a series of targeted measures to help
small business grow and employ. This is ultimately an education and infrastructure
budget, but small business will welcome the extension of the instant asset
write-off, a focus on regulatory reform, strong infrastructure investment, and
a national skilling fund.
Detailed below are the key... READ MORE

A national real estate group has found that an overwhelming majority of property investors aren't properly claiming their tax deductions, and missing out on thousands of dollars as a result.
Raine & Horne executive chairman Angus Raine issued a reminder to all property investors that they should be completing a tax depreciation schedule in order to claim deductions before the end of the financial year."Re... READ MORE

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